Hinged helmet



Nov. 25, 1958 w. AISTUART ETAL 2,861,272

mncao HELMET Filed Feb. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS lflutzzeq A.Stuart, .Leozzcnrd Gifluxtable ATTORNEY BY am.

Nov. 25, 1958 w. A. STUART EfAL 2,351,272

HINGED HELMET Filed Feb. 21, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 51 v INVENTORSLeozzazdCiHznc-table Pa tented Nov. 25, 1958 United States Patent "ice v2,861,272

HINGED HELMET Whitney A. Stuart, New Brunswick, N. J., and Leonard G.Huxtable, New York, N. Y., assignors to the United States of America asrepresented by the Secretary of the Army Application February 21, 1957,Serial No. 641,774 13 Claims. (Cl. 2-6) Where a helmet is made of metalor other substantially rigid material it must have an opening largerthan the largest dimension of the head to permit it to be put on andtaken off. Thus, when such helmets are shaped to protect the neck andlower parts of the face, they do not fit these parts closely. One styleof football helmet solves this difficulty by hinging ear flaps to acrown portion. The most widely used current football helmet makes thehelmet sufficiently flexible to permit the free lower edges to be spreadapart when the helmet is taken off and put on. Neither of theseexpedients is suitable for a rigidhelmet for military use. Hinges wouldhave to be quite large to have sufiicient strength and would addmaterially to the weight and cost of the helmet. Flexible material isnot a satisfactory substitute for rigid material for military helmets.

With the foregoing in view, an object of the invention is to provide animproved helmet having a close fit with the face and neck together withimproved means for spreading the lower portions of the helmet apart toallow the same to be donned and doffed.

A further object is to provide such a helmet which comprises at leasttwo sections pivotally connected together between the top and bottom ofthe helmet so that the lower edges of such sections can be moved to andfrom spread and adjacent or operative positions.

Other objects and advantages reside in the particular structures ofseveral species involved, the structure of the elements thereof,combinations and subcombinations of such elements, all of which will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art upon reference to thedrawing wherein two species of the invention are shown and to thefollowing specification wherein the invention is described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of one species of the invention;

Figure 2 is a front view thereof;

Figure 3 is also a front view thereof but shows the parts in the spreadpositions parts being broken away to illustrate a portion in transversevertical section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view'taken substantially on the planeof the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of a modification of the invention;

Figure 6 is a front view thereof;

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 77 of Figure 5;

, .Figure 8 is a. view like Figure 7 but shows the parts in the spreadposition; and

Figure 9 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the planeof the line 99 of Figure 6.

Referring specifically to the drawing wherein like reference charactersdesignate like parts in all views and referring at first to the speciesof Figures 1-4 inclusive, 10 designates generally a helmet whichcomprises a left hand section, 11 and a right hand section 12. The lefthand section 11 has a free edge 13 which is disposed in opposedoverlapping relation to a corresponding free edge 14"of the right handsection 12. The overlapped free edges 13 and I4, centrally of the topportion of the helmet are formed with laterally extending projections 15and 16 respectively'which combine to provide a substantially disc-shapedarea of double thickness centrally of the top of the helmet fora purposeto be apparent hereinafter. The overlapped edges 14 and 13 are pivotallyconnected together by coaxial front and rear pins, rivets or the like 17and 18 which are located between the top and bottom of the helmet 10.The upper portions 19 and 20 respectively of the sections 11 and 12which are above the pivots 17 and 18 include crown portions 21 and 22which are formed as segments of hollow concentric spheres or prolatespheroids whereby to maintain a close sliding fit at all times as thesections are moved on the pivots 17 and 18, as best seen in Figure 3.The pivots 17 and 18 are located on a line passing through the center ofthe spheres of which the crownportions 21 and 22 are segments. The lowerportions 23 and 24 of the sections 11 and 12 respectively are mostly cutaway at the front to provide any suitable eye openings 25, 26 andmerging combined nose and mouth openings 27 and 28. The merged openingsprovide a substantially T-shaped front opening for the helmetillustrated when the sections 11 and 12 are in the adjacent oroperativeposition of Figure 2. Obviously the front opening may be otherwiseshaped. The operation of the device is readily understood. To donor'puton the helmet, the lower edges 33 and 32 respectively of thesections 11 and 12 are spread apart from the adjacent or operativepositions of Figure 2 to the spread positions of Figure 3. The helmet isthen applied to the head in the usual manner and the sections 11 and 12are then returned to the operative position wherein the head of thewearer is substantially entirely enclosed. The helmet is supported onthe wearers head by any suitable sweatband and/ or helmet suspension,not shown, such as those disclosed in'the patent to Riddell, No.2,250,275. Such head band would be located gen erally along the plane ofthe pivotal axis so that there would be no stretching of the sweatbandas the sections 11 and 12 are moved to the spread positions. Anysuitable latch means such as the latch keeper providing dimples 29 and31 of the crown portion 21 and the latch dog 30 of the projection 16,Figure 3, serve to releasabl'y retain the sections 11 and 12 in eitherthe operative or the spread positions. The latch keeper 31 seats thelatch dog 30 when the sections are spread while the keeper 29 seats thelatch dog when the sections are returned to the operative positions. Itis understood that the material of the projection 16 is sufficientlyresilient to provide a spring latch and permit the operation describedabove. This latch structure may be duplicated on the projection 15 andcrown portion 22 as shown to provide a dual latch or alternately, aconcealed latch.

' It is readily understood from the foregoing that the helmet 10 may bemade of any suitable rigid material yet may be readily donned and doffedwithout loss of A time. Moreover, the lower portions of the helmetsections may closely embrace the face and neck of the wearer to providemaximum protection. No heavy and expensive hinges are necessary and byforming the crown sections 21 and 22 as segments of hollow spheres orprolate spheroids they may have the close friction fit shown at alltimes. It should be understood that the lower portions 23 and 24 of thesections 11 and 12 are preferably lined on the inside by suitablepadding or the equivalent, not shown. The helmet may be retained on the,wearers head by any suitable chin strap, napestrap orthe like, notshown.

The, species of Figures'5-9 inclusive, comprises a threepiece helmet 40which includes a crown 41 and left and right hand sections 42 and 43respectively. The crown 41 preferably is in the form of a segment of, ahollow, prol'ate spheroid. The sections 42 and 43 have upper edgeportions 44 and 45 respectively which are likewise formed as segments ofprolate spheroids which are concentrically overlapped with the loweredge 46 of the crown 41. The front and rear edges of the upper edgeportions 44 and 45' are themselves overlapped and'pivotally connectedtogether and to the crown 41 by any suitable coaxial, front and rearpivot means 47 and 48 respectively. The pivot means 47 and 43'aredisposed on the axis of the prolate spheroids of which the crown 41'andedge portions 44, and 45 comprise segments. Thus, the edge portions 44,45 have a close concentricfit with the crown 41 at all times and in allpositions. The lower portions 49 and 50 of the sections 43, 42respectively have a close fit with the lower parts of the head and faceof the wearer and may have lower and front edges shaped in any suitablemanner to provide neck and face openings shaped asdesired.

The lower edge 46 of the shell 41 may be formed with any suitable meanssuch as the annular shoulder 51 which engages inwardly directed edgeflanges 52, 53 of the secportion having a free lower edge, and saidlower portions having upper edges overlapping said lower edge of thehead covering portion.

5'. A helmet according to claim 4, wherein said lower portions includeoverlapping front and rear free edges.

6. A protective helmet, comprising a substantially rigid crown sectionformed as a segment of a hollow prolate spheroid, substantially rigidseparate left and right hand lower sections, said lower sections beingshaped to have a close fit with cheek and neck areas of a wearer,coaxial front and rear pivot means pivotally connecting said lowersections to said crown section in depending overlapping relation, saidpivot means being located substantially on the longitudinal axis of saidprolate spheroid, and said lower sections being movable on said pivotmeans laterally outwardly in opposite directions from operativepositions close to said cheek and neck areas to spread positions remotefrom areas to permit donning and dofling of said helmet.

7. A helmet according to claim 6, wherein said lower sections includeupper portions formed as segments of tions 42 and 43 respectively toprovide stops which limit pivotal movement of the sections in downwarddirections to the. operative positions of Figures 6 and 7 as best seenin Figure 7. Any suitable means such as the bosses 55 cooperate withflanges 52 and 53 to provide spring latches like those of the firstdescribed species of the invention are provided to secure the sections42 and 43 in the spread or raised positions illustrated in Figure 8.

Likewise, the crown 41 is provided with a suitable sweatband andsuspension to space the same from the head of'the wearer while the lowerportions 49, 50 of the sections 42 and 43 are suitably padded. As seenin Figure 8 such lower sections are slightly outwardly oifset withrespect to the upper portions 44, 45, whereby to provide space for suchpadding. Chin and/ or nape straps may be provided as desired.

This form of the invention is readily worn with the parts in either theraised positions of Figure 8 or the lowered, operative positions of,Figure 7. Obviously, when the weather is warm and the need for fullprotection is not great, the raised positions of the side sectionsprovides a relatively cool head gear but one which can be readily andquickly converted to a full helmet by merely pulling down both of thesections 42, 43. These sections are, of course, raised to the Figure 8positions when donning or dotfing the helmet.

While there has been shown and described what are now thought to be thepreferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that thesame is susceptible of other forms and expressions. Consequently, theinvention is not to be considered aslimited to the precise structuresshown and described hereinabove. except as hereinafter claimed.

We claim:

1. A protective rigid helmet, said helmetincluding two substantiallyrigid lower portions, said lower portions being shaped for a close fitwith check and neck areas ofa wearer, coaxial frontandrear pivot meanspivotally connecting said lower portions together, and said lower hollowprolate spheroids in abutting concentric relation to said crown section.

8. A. helmet according to claim 6, wherein said lower sections includeoverlapping front and rear free edges.

9. A helmet comprising substantially rigid left and right hand sections,each section comprising a crown portion and an integral lower portion,said crown portions having opposed and overlapping portions said lowerportions being shaped for a close fit with check and neck areas of awearer, aligned front and rear pivot means between said crown and lowerportions pivotally connecting said sections together, and said sectionsbeing movable on said pivot means from operative positions wherein saidlower portions are disposed close to the related check 7 and neck areaslaterally outwardly in opposite directions to spread positionspermitting the donning and doifing of said helmet and said overlappedportions of said crown portions being formed to overlap further as saidlower portions are moved to said spread positions.

10. A helmet according to claim 9, wherein said crown portions includeoverlapped free edges.

11. Ahelmetaccording to claim 10, wherein said lower portions includerear free edges which overlap in said operative positions.

, 12. A protective helmet or the like, comprising separate right andleft hand sections, each section having a lower portion and a crown,each section having opposed free edges, said free edges includingoverlapped upper and rear edge portions together with spaced and opposedfront and lower edge portions, two aligned. pivot means between saidlower portions and crowns pivotally connecting said overlapped upperedge portionstogether, one pivot means being at the front and the otherpivot means being at therear, said spaced and opposed. lower and frontedge portionsbeing movable on saidpivot means from operative positionsclosely overlying cheek and neck areas of the wearer laterally outwardlyin opposite directions. to spread positions to permit donning anddofling of said helmet, and said overlapped upper free edge portionsbeing formed to overlap further as said lowerv portions are moved tosaid spread positions.

'13. A helmet according to claim. 12,, whereinv said crowns are formedas segments of hollow concentric 6 spheres and said pivot means beinglocated at points 2,058,146 Glidden Oct. 20, 1936 correspondingsubstantially to the radii of said spheres. 2,272,959 Van Wormer Feb.10, 1942 2,629,101 Greenwald Feb. 24, 1953 References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 OTHER REFERENCES 932,487 MelioAug. 31, 1909 Helmets and Body Armour in Modern Warfare, copy- 1,280,684Domanski Oct. 8, 1918 right 1920 by Yale University Press, page 223,Figs. 173

8 Lightfield May 23, 1922 and 173A; and page 47, Fig. 8.

